1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
an irretrievable drug addict who had wasted a once-promising life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreparable
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
this is just an irretrievable mess, so let's start all over again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irretrievable
No fault did not require blame allowing a divorce if one spouse claimed irreconcilable differences or irretrievable breakdown against the other.
—
Patricia Fersch, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Patricia Fersch, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irretrievable
Adjective
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How to get your love letter stamped from Valentine, Texas For more than three decades, the small-town Valentine Post Office — also known as the Love Station — has processed thousands of love letters from hopeless romantics around the world.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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Marcus Hopkins has been trying to have his criminal record expunged for years, a process which left him hopeless.—
Rebecca-Ann Jattan,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Her illness has left her with irreparable dental damage—forcing her to spend thousands of dollars to restore her smile, a painful and permanent reminder of her eating disorder.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
The lawsuit alleges that the negligence of the waste management company led to Taylor’s death and caused irreparable harm to his family, according to the press release.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Finally, after more than a month of agony, her allergist diagnosed her with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) — an incurable condition marked by hives that last six weeks or longer, with no definitive cause or trigger.—
Diane Herbst,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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The charity run supports people affected by Neurofibromatosis, also known as NF, which is a group of incurable genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body.—
Austin Hornbostel,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
If, indeed, this administration and its congressional supporters are preparing a case against Powell, the damage done to the Fed’s independence will, in my opinion, be long-lasting, if not irreversible.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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In this entertaining sequel, Lois learns Clark's identity, prompting him to renounce his Kryptonian superpowers — a process that, as his late mom (Susannah York) repeatedly tells him, is irreversible.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Crestfallen fans have begun demanding refunds for hundreds of dollars in ticket purchases to defray irrecoverable travel and lodging costs.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025
-
Customs Duty, which is irrecoverable. Import VAT, which can be reclaimed, provided correct steps are taken.—
Robert Marchant,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
First, the private key can be lost and unrecoverable.—
Alexander S. Blume,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
That drop felt like a gut punch to many, especially with ongoing news coverage framing current events as ominous, permanent or unrecoverable.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, the court found that after considering several factors, the government failed to prove that Abrego Garcia poses an irremediable danger to the community.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Mears,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
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Despite the incident, The Animal Haven reaffirmed its no-kill shelter status, and clarified that euthanasia in cases of irremediable canine aggression is in line with the Best Friends Animal Society's definition of no-kill.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Who was this alien observer, whose gaze made me into a (slightly) better person, whose gaze (slightly) reduced my incorrigible self-centeredness?—
Michael W. Clune,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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They were joined by dozens of other performers across the rock ’n’ roll spectrum, from the hard-stomping Fleshtones to the incorrigible Supersuckers, to Tommy Stinson’s Bash & Pop, to the ageless Linda Gail Lewis — younger sister of music icon Jerry Lee Lewis.—
Jim Ruland,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irretrievable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irretrievable. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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